Trouble In Paradise
by Angelic Pink
Summary: The new Wu recruit, Ling Cai, is sent to serve under Gan Ning. Forced to train and fight togther, Ling Cai begins to feel differently about the Pirate. OCxGN -Chapters being rewritten /Update Coming Soon 10/06/08
1. The Truth Hurts

**Trouble in Paradise**

_Ok, so this is the newly UPDATED fanfiction (as of 26th March 2008). To all the readers who have made this story a favourite I would advise you to try and read from the start once again. I have changed the story now (And I'll be updating the first few chapters I totally despise them right about now) and I'll be still updating the story with some new chapters too. Please read and review, they're always nice to read and get your comments/views across. Thanks in advance._

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**Chapter One – The Truth Hurts**

"You had enough!?"

Hearing the blade sink into the ground, the General looked up and saw the Pirate leaning against his blade looking almost bored. He wiped a bit of sweat from his brow but aside from that he didn't even seem short of breath. His eyes travelled over the women in front of him who was breathing quick and shallow and was knelt down on the warm grass, clutching her weapons tightly in her hands. As though this answered his question, Gan Ning turned his back on here and walked towards the shade of the trees.

Rising to her feet, the women watched him walk away feeling angry but also ashamed of herself. She had only managed to train with him for about six rounds before she was caught off guard and was forced down to the ground by the Pirate. He didn't care whether she was a female or not, or whether she had even trained before. She was a new recruit, _his _recruit for that matter and he wasn't going to let anybody slack off. Not under his watch.

Ling Cai was the women's name. She was still watching the Pirate with cerulean eyes that seemed to flash with shame as she threw her twin daggers down to the ground, where they quivered ominously beside Gan Ning's blade. She stared at the glinting reflection from the Sun before turning her blonde head away from them, and instead looked at the Pirate's back once more. She wiped the perspiration that was forming in little beads, off her face and walked towards him. He was lying by the side of the small stream of sparkling clean water that ran through the Wu Capital of Jian Ye, washing his face with the cool water.

He didn't seem to notice that Cai was slowly making her way towards him, watching the pink petals fall gracefully from the trees above them. She stopped a few yards behind them and instead of watching the blossoms; she surveyed the numerous tattoos the Pirate had. The intricate patterns and designs seemed to mesmerise Cai as her eyes traced the tattoos…The pain he must have endured whilst getting them burnt on to his skin would have been excruciating and yet she had a faint idea that he did not care much. She personally wouldn't have gone through the torture, but that was only her opinion.

The splash of water made Cai come out of her trance and she glanced back down at the Pirate who was splashing water all over his face once again. He leant back to enjoy the cool breeze and saw her standing there, staring at him. Gan Ning raised one eyebrow and was seemingly perturbed at finding her just standing there.

"What?" He asked without hesitation, staring back at his low ranking general. Ling Cai managed to keep her mouth shut to refrain from saying something that could land her in some deep trouble with him. She also became aware that her left hand had clenched tightly. She had no right to go chatting back to him; she had no right to even question him. She was ranked underneath him and therefore couldn't do so much as look at him funny…She did however, feel grateful that he chose that very second to look away from her and therefore he missed the fact that she was restraining herself from yelling at him.

"You can sit down you know," Ning said, raising an eyebrow once again as she continued to stand there, though he was glad she was no longer staring directly at him as though he was something on show. She seated herself a few yards away from him and glanced over her shoulders to see their weapons still gleaming in the brilliant sun-light. Ning smiled and then looked back across the glistening waters of the river. Cai picked up a blossom petal and started to shred it. She enjoyed the tranquillity of the outdoors, when there was no war or battle waging. It was so calming to hear the birds singing melodically, and the trees gently whisper to each other as a warm breeze passed through.

"I can't say that's been your best training session over the last few weeks." Gan Ning started, leaning back against the rough bark of the tree once again and stretching his legs out placing his hands behind his head. Ling Cai looked into the cool but clear depths of the stream as he was speaking feeling the same shame as earlier beginning to creep up again. Gan Ning scratched his head before continuing with his speech. "You've been lacking some-what in your skill for the past few days. Something you need to tell me? Or are you just letting me win each and every round?"

The shame she was feeling was reflected in her eyes as she glanced up at him, and anger was pouring in from all sides too. She was hurt by his comment but she did not want to him to see that. She looked away quickly; Gan Ning didn't seem to notice the emotion burning in her eyes. Ling Cai wasn't entirely a newcomer anymore. She had been with Wu for around six months now and nearly every single day was devoted to training with Gan Ning…And she had thought inside that she was doing better, her confidence was beginning to build up a little and then Gan Ning had destroyed that, tore it down almost as quickly as it came…So much for emotional barriers.

"I'll give you some credit, you've managed to put some fight and skill into our training sessions and at some point you've got me wanting a break but not today. Today has been poor. There's been no effort whatsoever; if it had been a real duel I would have killed your three times over." At this point, Gan Ning found it best not to look at the General and he looked at his golden bells instead. He was being incredibly harsh…He knew that, but it was something that needed to be voiced, not just kept inside. This girl had potential, he knew it and so did she, he just had to scrape it out of her that was all.

"Stop it." Ling Cai said suddenly, her voice trembling. Gan Ning turned his head quickly towards her and saw that she still wasn't looking at him. He actually thought that she had misheard her until she spoke again, in a voice that was of forced calmness.

"Stop undermining me."

She chanced a glance up at him and saw that look of shock had crossed his once calm and relaxed features. The fact that she had spoken out of turn had come as a surprise and it took moments for him to register what had actually happened.

"I'm not undermining you I'm simply speaking words of truth." He added quietly, still staring in disbelief. Since the six months that she had been by Gan Ning's side she had never once spoken out of turn, or barely spoke at all. Ling Cai did not speak again. It seemed as though her tongue had refrained her from speaking and so she sat with her arms folded across her chest staring awkwardly at the glittering water.

"You're still feeling angry…Or maybe ashamed of your abysmal performance? Well here's a chance to redeem yourself Lady Cai." Gan Ning had risen to his feet and passed her as he pulled his blade from out of the ground and held it firmly in his right hand. "Come on; show me that you can do this. Prove it to me."

Ling Cai didn't need anymore encouragement then that. She leapt to her feet as though the grass had suddenly scalded her and picked up her daggers from where she had thrown them down before pointing them threateningly at the Pirate standing in front of her, almost leering at her.

"Well you're a little more enthusiastic, I'll give you…."

Ling Cai darted forward with both power and speed, not even bothering to wait for him to finish his sentence. Gan Ning only just managed to block her attack that it caused him to stagger backwards slightly. He regained his footing and aimed to block every swing that was coming at him from various places. Every time she swung, her would move back a step to avoid the glinting metal of her daggers. Her attacks were exceptionally quick and relentless, the energy and force she was putting behind every attack did not cease. The emotional constraints were now snapped and everything seemed to be pouring out. The anger, mingled with shame was attached to each swing, and finally she was able to break Gan Ning's guard and with amazing agility, she was able to swerve underneath his arm and press the end of her left dagger against his lower-back, the right hand had moved upwards and was placed just in front of his neck. He let out a low grunt and kept his blade in front of him unable to do much else.

Heart still beating furiously, adrenaline still surging through her blood, she remained in the same position for a few more seconds to make sure he understood the victory, to let it sink in before she stepped aside and dropped her arms to her side. Gan Ning turned slowly to face her, glad to see that she had not left any visible wounds on his tanned skin. He was no longer looking dispirited or disappointed with her performance last time, but a grin flickered across his features and he nodded his head. "Now that's what I'm talking about,"

"If you were to perform like that on the battle-field, the enemy doesn't stand a chance." Gan Ning continued, watching Ling Cai with interest. She inclined her head towards him as if in a bow. "Training's over for today, I'll expect to see you here tomorrow as usual."

The Pirate lifted his scimitar over his shoulder and walked casually away without a backwards glance, exiting the gardens (and their training grounds) no doubt heading to the banquet hall for their usual feast. Instead of following, Ling Cai flopped back down on the grass still feeling the rhythmic beat of her heart against her ribcage. She laid her daggers at the side of her before laying down herself. The grass was warm and oh so comfortable on her back, facing the mass of pink blossoms above her. The sun gently shone through the shallow gaps allowing her to bask in the gentle warmth of the rays. It was such a peaceful and tranquil day and this is how she wanted it to stay. Forever.

Nevertheless, she knew deep inside that that was impossible. The land had been divided into three powerful forces, Sun Quan with Wu, Cao Cao with Wei and Liu Bei with Shu. She knew in the future that she would no doubt face both Wei and Shu, and when that time came she would be ready. She would not show any mercy, she would fight for the sake of Wu, for the sake of the Pirate she served.

Her eyes snapped open, they had been itching with tiredness but she sat up whilst her eyes ached to shut once again. Six months worth of training, six months of being with Gan Ning and the anger she had felt towards him had completely evaporated, and a completely different emotion had replaced it.


	2. Nightmares and Revelations

_Another one of the rewritten chapters. Please read & review as usual.  
_

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**Chapter 2 – Nightmares and Revelations**

"Gan Ning? You can't leave!" Ling Cai said, looking around at the battlefield around her. Many of the Wu soldiers had already fallen and it seemed that Gan Ning and Ling Cai were the only remaining officers left to the attack. Zhou Tai and Taishi Ci had already fallen back. "You're never going to make it through!" Ling Cai shouted as he began pursuit of an enemy officer. Ling Cai went to follow him but her legs screamed in protest and she collapsed to the floor, splattering her blood-stained clothes with thick mud. Up ahead, Gan Ning was chasing the enemy officer directly in to a trap. There were hundreds upon hundreds of archers now standing over the gate, all aiming at the Pirate.

"NO!" She screamed, but it was too late. Arrows after arrows rained down upon Gan Ning, his eyes had widened with shock. The arrows pierced through his skin as blood splattered the grass underneath him. He opened his mouth wordlessly as he fell backwards, hitting the ground with an almighty crash that seemed to make the Earth stand still. It was as though everything was now moving in slow motion.

Tears streaming down her pale, cold cheeks she managed to pull herself off the ground, her feet squelching underneath the thick mud and move quickly over to the unmoving body. Dropping to his side she gently moved his head so he was looking at her. His eyes were still open, but they were empty. His face was still slightly warm, but was beginning to pale as the blood stopped moving. One arrow had gone straight through his heart and there was no doubt that this was the one that had killed him.

She heard another yell, the voice of the enemy officer Gan Ning had pursued, that Gan Ning had sacrificed his life for. She turned around and saw that every single one of the archers were now leaning of the gate, bows directed straight at her. She grasped one of Gan Ning's cold hands and held it tightly in her own. She quickly closed her eyes and waited for the arrows to pierce her helpless body.

Ling Cai's eyes flew open and she expected to still be on the battlefield, holding Gan Ning's dead hand, but as her eyes adjusted to the limited light, she realised she was still in the Wu Capital of Jian Ye. Cold sweat covered her forehead and she brushed it away with a cold, trembling hand. The nightmare had been so vivid and real and it had shaken her so severely that she had to convince herself for at least five minutes that Gan Ning was still alive and well and that Wu had never been in such a battle.

Sitting up she pressed her cold hands to her face, delicately pressing in at her eyes so that dots of colour burst before her eyelids. When she opened them again, she noticed a stream of thin gold line across the horizon. It was almost daybreak and she knew that there was no need to fall back to sleep, she didn't want to just in case the nightmare invaded her slumber again.

Pacing around her room, her thoughts kept drifting involuntarily towards the terrifying images she had just witnessed and she hoped to the heavens that she would never ever have to see that happen in reality. She knew about the losses of war, and had suffered dearly. She had lost both her brother and her father and a few years later; her mother followed the same fate due to complete depression. Instead of following her mother's suite, she had joined with Wu to avenge her father and brother's death which was caused by soldiers wearing blue, soldiers in Wei.

Cai began to change, very slowly and extremely carefully, whilst mulling over these horrific memories. It took her a fair amount of time, and once she had finally gotten herself decent, the hazy golden light had crept several inches across the floor. Feeling trapped within her own room and with her own thoughts, she made a quick exit and stood outside in the cold stone corridor, breathing deeply. When she was positive no one was around, Ling Cai began to shuffle down the corridor. She did not want to be in anyone's company right now, she didn't want to talk about what was bothering her, she didn't want to reveal her memories or nightmares to anyone. They would stay secrets with her for many days to come.

Not really paying much attention to where she was going, Cai walked into the main hall where she could already smell breakfast. Exiting randomly through a door on her right in which she had never been through before, it revealed itself to be a gargantuan sized room with many swords displayed on the walls and fine red silk clothes covered the decorative oak tables. She raised an eyebrow as she peered at a portrait of a man wearing tiger's skin and holding a fine slender sword. Gan Ning had mentioned this man several times before, recognizing him as 'The Tiger Of Jiang Dong'. It was Sun Jian, Lord of Wu, until his terrible demise.

Ling Cai sighed remembering her own dream of Gan Ning's death and decided that it was best to get a breath of fresh air. She exited the room and crossed the main hall to the outdoors.

The air was cool and still. She immediately looked up into the lightening sky. Ling Cai was able to see the glimmering stars, and their constellations. She had thought about how Strategists look amongst the stars and are able to come up with such great plans and ideas. She had always looked up to all Strategists, most of all Zhuge Liang, in which she had heard so much about.

Deep in thought, she pushed the doors to the stable open gently and saw a sudden movement from the right of her, and the next instant she was face-to-face with a blade that was inches away from her throat. Her eyes widened slightly as it remained fixed in place, whilst Gan Ning moved his head into the weak light.

"What are you doing here!?" Gan Ning asked her, he had made such a quick movement for his blade that she was quite surprised he didn't strike her.

"I…Couldn't sleep?" Ling Cai said, determined not to say a word about the nightmare.

Gan Ning surveyed her. "Why did you come here? Why not go to the main hall for breakfast?" He questioned her, still not dropping his sword, which she found quite annoying.

"Because…I always come here. It's somewhere I didn't expect to be disturbed." She said firmly, gazing in to his dark eyes.

He lowered his blade carefully, and was now staring at her through curious and inquisitive eyes. She kept still and suddenly felt as though he was trying to read her mind, trying to see why she didn't want to be disturbed. She looked away from his intense stare and rested her eyes on a russet horse that had been eyeing her with its black as night eyes.

Moving past Gan Ning, she stretched out her hand and began to stroke its soft but tangled mane. She could sense his eyes still staring at the back of her head but she didn't turn around, she didn't want to have that strange feeling as though he was seeing straight through her, it was somewhat unnerving.

"You know, I think it's more than the fact that you couldn't sleep." Gan Ning said in a tone that she did not immediately recognise, especially coming from him. It was somehow caring, and soft rather then gruff and mocking. "And even if you don't tell me, I'll walk away knowing that I tried."

That was when everything seemed to change. It took six months for her to establish that he was arrogant, hard-headed and temperamental but that had fallen down like a ton of bricks as soon as_ cared. _At least made out he cared…

Silence fell around the, broken only by the gentle grunting from the horses, or the gently pawing at the ground. She heard Gan Ning step a little closer to her before he cleared his throat.

"So you going to tell me what your doing up so early?" His tone of voice was same as before, and it made her feel as though she could trust him, even with her life and that was saying something. She had found it hard to trust anyone since the death of her family and the only person she had really talked to was Sun Shang Xiang.

"I don't think I've ever told you the reason why I joined Wu, and I guess it played a little part in why I'm here right now." She said quietly, her voice seemed timid and hesitant but the feeling that she could trust Gan Ning didn't disappear. He leant against the wood of the stables, watching and listening intently. "I joined partly because of a burning desire to get revenge…And to avenge." She said, biting her lip as she stared down at the masses of hay. "Wei flooded through our village and took the lives of both my brother and father. They had no mercy; they just slaughtered the men and left the women and children to clean up the mess."

Gan Ning looked away and faced the wall of the stables; his hand was clenched rather tightly upon the wooden gates that kept the horses safely inside. Ling Cai felt tears sting behind her eyes but she forced herself to continue with her tale. "My mother became distant; she was loosing herself in depression. She became an empty shell, as if her soul had gone along with my brother's and father's. She didn't talk anymore, I had to force her to eat, and I had to force her to live. However, she gave up and only a few years later she died too, died of a broken heart some would say."

Her throat constricted painfully, but she removed the barrier and cleared it loudly. Gan Ning didn't say anything but continued staring ahead, anger burning in his eyes. Ling Cai rested her head on her hand as she stared at the russet horse she had stroke earlier, and believed that the beautiful creature was too, listening to her story.

"My brother and father taught me the basics with weapons. The daggers I have, those were my brother's. He tried to fend some of the troops off to allow my mother and me to escape. I saw him die…And when my father tried to help, they…" Her voice would no longer allow her to speak and she dissolved into silent tears.

Gan Ning fists unclenched from the wood and he turned her steadily to face him her tears streamed down her pale cheeks, but her eyes were still burning with anger and rage. "Use it."

Ling Cai looked up at him through her watery blue eyes, but understood this comment almost immediately. She had used her anger and shame in the previous day to attack and overcome Gan Ning, and he knew he was telling her to use the emotions, the sadness and the fury, telling her to prepare it for when the time came to face Wei.

He lifted on arm and snaked it around her shoulders and pressed her to him. He could feel the tears soaking his shirt but he didn't care, he just held her there as she cried softly.

_Died of a broken heart some would say…_


	3. Battles Philosophy

**_Another edited chapter. Read&Review_**

**Chapter 3 – Battle's Philosophy**

Still reeling from her past, Ling Cai was becoming fairly distant and less talkative once again. She had followed Gan Ning's instructions and had used the horrific memories to push herself during training sessions, and overcoming the Pirate's defensive tactics was becoming a regular thing. However, there were also side-effects of using her emotions on the battlefield, which Gan Ning cared to point out on afternoon where the thick heavy clouds were lining the sky and light droplets of rain were falling gently on to her skin. They had been training for only around fifteen minutes before Gan Ning had called for a break to discuss what she had been doing.

"You push yourself only to attack; you seem to not care much about defence." He pointed out quickly, watching her closely just in case she did attack him before he was ready like last time. "The enemy will see this weakness, it will be like standing in the middle of the battlefield without a weapon…Something that will come useful to you is to never let the enemy see a weakness, if that happens then your cover is blown."

Inclining her head towards him to show him that she understood, she moved into her attacking stance as usual and prepared herself for the next round. Gan Ning remained in his place still observing her and it made Cai feel increasingly uncomfortable. She had the same feeling that he was somehow x-raying her. "You know, once you're out fighting everything changes." He began, now looking past her and staring at the stream that was reflecting the deep grey sky above it. "Right now, when we are training together…There isn't a risk but once you're out there in the midst of battle everything changes."

Ling Cai allowed her arms to fall by her side as she relaxed from her attacking position and listened instead. She would speak only when she felt the need too, and right now that wasn't the case.

"There isn't just one person you're fighting; there are floods of them coming from every direction. You have your allies beside you but inside you know and feel alone. Then there are the noble and benevolent people who feel like they owe their lives for the soldiers they fight aside, they would risk their very neck to make sure that as many people make it out alive."

At this point, Cai was forcefully reminded of her brother and father. They had risked their own lives to save her and her mother from the onslaught of Wei soldiers that had invaded their once peaceful village. The grip on her daggers immediately tightened but her eyes remained fixed on the Pirate in front her.

"Then when you are specifically told to do something for the sake of a strategy and you see the people you are fighting with dying at the side of you, all you can do is continue on, meet the aims and targets and then hope for the best." Gan Ning spoke softly, obviously this was a past experience and Ling Cai felt a small pang of sympathy.

"But when you see the people dying at the side of you, hearing their last yells and screams, watching them fall to the ground…" He trailed off and glanced at Ling Cai after finally looking away from the cold depths of the stream.

"You somehow feel their pain." Cai finished quietly, now visualising her nightmare in which she had seen Gan Ning fall in a similar fashion, how her heart felt as though it had been ripped out there and then. The pain…It was excruciating.

"And when you finish the battle, when you become victorious…We celebrate." He said tonelessly, looking slightly disgusted at the very thought. "All those lives that had been ended and yet we still celebrate. We raise our goblets up to the heavens and hope that those who risked their lives for the good of Wu can celebrate with us."

"When in reality you know that they aren't…That their lives ended the very second they were cut down by the enemy. Yet I believe that my family is still watching over me, giving me my strength…And I will not falter until I avenge their deaths." Ling Cai added her eyes somehow empty and blank.

Gan Ning nodded and cleared his throat, "So we continue with our daily lives as though nothing ever happened. We fight on with those soldiers who survived as though it was simply a competition of who can survive and who can get killed. Those with less skill and experience suffer at the bottom of the hierarchy, whilst the Commanders and their generals are all the way at the top and are protected at all costs."

He slammed his blade into the ground and stared at it for a few more seconds before turning away from it, and from Ling Cai who was staring at him sympathetically. "But that's the way battle goes," She added, her throat seemed to be extremely dry as though she had just gained the ability to speak. "Some you win, some you lose. Everyone suffers great losses and eventually you learn that you can't protect each soldier that is fighting at the side of you, no matter how much you tell yourself you will. You can't be everywhere at once."

She saw Gan Ning's head tilt slightly and when he turned back around, she was surprised to see him smirking. "And that's something you learnt by yourself...You will understand when the time comes, that you will still feel responsible for the deaths no matter how experienced you are, and that's a feeling that you and I could live without."

Ling Cai averted her eyes from his gaze and stared at the sword in the ground, whilst Gan Ning's smirked began to fade away. "But there's one thing you shouldn't feel for the enemy Ling Cai, and that's mercy."

Glancing back up she saw the ferocity in his expression, but the tone of voice was still calm and relaxed, as if they were just having a friendly talk about some random topic. "Like you said, everyone suffers great losses and that means from the other side too. You will see the look on their faces as you go for the killing strike, how their eyes widen in fear…Their mouths open in shock and how they would yell out…But you cannot show mercy."

This thought seemed to scare Ling Cai and it obviously showed on her expression because Gan Ning expression softened even further. "You show mercy, the enemy will see your weakness. Always remember that you are fighting to stop the chaos reigning, to stop the death of those soldiers beside you…To stop the war altogether and that means cutting down those who oppose you."

"To fight for what you believe in, until the very end." Ling Cai said softly,

"And to defeat those who oppose you for the peace of the land." Gan Ning continued, pulling his blade out of the Earth and staring at it avidly for a few seconds, a concerned expression crossing his face.

"I guess now would probably be the best time to tell you," The Pirate started, still gazing at the reflection from his sword. "It is inevitable, and so Wu must act quickly…We will be heading to Hefei to stop the forces of Wei."

Ling Cai's eyes darted from the blossoms to Gan Ning quickly and once again her hands tightened automatically on her daggers. "Wei?"

"Cao Cao's forces of Wei, yes…I was told to bring a general into battle to fight along-side me and I have chosen you. We will be part of the navy, and will be coming in as reinforcements when things start to look a little hazy for the Wu forces…And if all goes to plan we should be able to flatten their army, you'll get an opportunity to prove yourself on the battlefield and most of all, we will quash their little rebellions and gain the upper hand." Gan Ning explained, finally lowering his blade to look at his General.

She was deep in thought; there was no doubt about that. Her eyes were travelling across the floor as her mind began to think about what this could potentially mean. "I'll be new on the battlefield and the Wei forces will underestimate me…Is that part of the strategy? They will think that I'm weak because I'm female and try and take me out first. It seems partially logical."

"Well now, that's a pretty coherent sum of the strategy yes." He said giving her another broad grin. "Then you show them your true skills on the battlefield and you'll have them running with terror." He moved over to her and stared directly in her eyes. "One piece of advice though…Do not let your anger and rage get the better of you. Do that, and your letting them see a weakness so equal your attacking with defending." He grinned once again before bidding her goodbye and moving to leave the gardens.

"Oh, make sure you're at the feast tomorrow, don't forget that. The army need to be well fed for the journey." He called out, before leaving her alone once again in the gardens.

She felt the cool droplets press against her face and she brushed them away as the thought of fighting against Wei sunk in. She was finally going to face those that had killed her father and brother, those that had driven her mother into deep depression that had finally lead to her death too. Her whole family had been taken away and all because of one army, all because of the blue-clad men that believed Cao Cao's ambition and dreams were to fight for...A man who's ambition is to rid the land of innocent villages that strived to stay away from the battles and the wars...To rid the land of the people who wished to stay with their families and protect them at all costs rather than a Commander.

"Father…Brother…Please, lend me your strength. Allow me to go out on to the battlefield and avenge you. Watch over me,"

And with that, she turned on her heel, daggers held tightly in her hands and she left the gardens, the rain becoming progressively faster and thicker, the sky becoming darker and foreboding.


	4. Being Rewritten

Ling Cai strolled across the courtyard towards the stables. It was a miserable day. The clouds were shades of deepest grey and the occasional droplet of rain fell. She was still in an excellent mood due to the kiss that she had received by Gan Ning the previous day. Many of the generals were inspired by her happiness even though a battle was nearing, and so, Lord Sun Quan had organized a celebration for them later that night.  
She was excited of course, but all training had also been stopped for today as well, which meant that she was unable to see Gan Ning until tonight.

Opening the stable door, she saw her friend, Sun Shang Xiang quietly crying in the corner. Her smile faltered and her happy mood was punctured with low sobs. Shang Xiang had realized someone had walked in because she immediately turned to face away from the door.

"Shang Xiang?" Cai said softly, walking slowly across the hay towards her friend.  
Xiang replied in an extremely loud sniff before turning back round. It seemed as though she had been crying for awhile since her eyes were red, puffy and bloodshot.

"Shang Xiang…Tell me, what's wrong?" She said kneeling down on the crispy hay, trying to look into her eyes.

It took at least five minutes of patience before Shang Xiang was able to talk. She sniffed loudly once again.

"I miss my father…My brother…" She muffled behind her hand.  
Ling Cai understood and quickly embraced her friend.  
"It's hard. War's hard. The worst part about it is the loss." Cai said, remembering the dream she had about Ning. "You have to take each day as it comes…"  
Sun Shang Xiang shook her head. "If Quan goes, I'll have no-one left. I couldn't face it…It was hard enough loosing my father but when Ce left me…" She burst out crying again and Ling Cai gave her a shoulder to cry on.

Cai felt her own eyes stinging as she held back the tears that were dying to come out. She had to stay strong, especially in this case. A few minutes later, Xiang raised her head from off Cai's shoulder.  
"I'm really sorry…For dropping all this on you, especially when we have a feast to attend to in awhile. We are all supposed to be happy about victory, but I can't. Not when the ones I truly cared about have gone…" Shang Xiang whispered, looking downwards.

"I will always be here for you Shang Xiang. You should know that by now."  
"Thanks." She muttered before standing up. "I'm going to get ready for the feast. I'm supposed to at least look presentable." She managed to muster a watery smile. Ling Cai smiled back at her before exchanging their goodbyes.

**-- -- -- -- Later That Night -- -- -- --**

Adding the last pink blossoms into her perfectly curls; Ling Cai stood back and admired her reflection in the full-length mirror. She smiled and dusted down her silks, she was dancing with the Qiao sisters during the feast so she had to look her very best…Not just for the dance but for that special someone.  
A light knock came at the door. "The feast's about to begin Lady Cai, would you like me to escort you down?" Her maid's voice spoke, muffled by the wood.

Ling Cai opened the door and smiled at her maid. She nodded but only slightly so her hair wouldn't fall out of place. The maid bowed her head and closed her door as Ling Cai led the way. She could hear the beautiful melody of music playing as she neared the Great Hall. Her maid quickly rushed ahead, bowed once again and opened the doors to the hall.

It looked spectacular. The walls were covered in beautiful red and gold silks whilst the table in which there food was served upon, was covered in an embroidered silk. Golden goblets which were encrusted with rubies were placed evenly across the table.

Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao were dressed in pinks and purples, which luckily enough were the colours that Ling Cai had also chose to wear. She was approached by them almost immediately. Their excitement and happiness cheered Cai up again and soon she was in her infectious happy mood.

After a long chat with Taishi Ci who was extremely interested in her and the Qiao's dance which would be taking place in less than ten minutes, she was able to walk around freely. She noticed Gan Ning. Her stomach dropped an inch or so as he turned round with a goblet in his hand. He had seemingly polished his bells and his tattoo's seemed to stand out more than usual. His hair looked more fiddled with as usual which made him look even more handsome.

Before she could say anything to him however, Xiao Qiao was pulling her towards the stage, in which she could hear that the music had stopped and the generals had all began to seat themselves at the table. Ling Cai's heart missed a beat. Dancing? Now?

Xiao Qiao and Da Qiao stood at either side of Ling Cai and once the music started, they began to dance. Ling Cai who had only practised with the Qiao's once a week was amazed that she knew the moves. Sun Shang Xiang, who looked extremely pretty now that the red puffy bloodshot eyes had gone, was throwing pink, purple and red flowers amongst them as they danced.

Five minutes later and they were applauded as they left the stage. Ling Cai smiled as she walked down the steps and Xiao Qiao was waving and throwing the rest of the flowers that Shang Xiang was unable to throw at the generals.

Once off the stage she began to her search for Gan Ning. She had seen him staring at her as she danced and every time he did she felt her face burn red hot. She didn't have to search long however…

"You dance beautifully…" His voice sounded in her ear. Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red as she turned round to face him. He smiled slowly.  
"You'll have to show more of those dance moves when your training. You'd be amazing on the battlefield." He said, leaning in to whisper in her ear again.  
Ling Cai closed her eyes and smiled, her face growing warmer each time he gave her a compliment. She felt so nervous around him.  
"I'm already amazing on the battlefield…Your teaching me…" She said back to him, smiling herself.

"Hey! Pirate! Get over here!" Lu Meng shouted over at Gan Ning whose smile vanished as he returned to his original pirate-self. "My name's Gan Ning, Old Man." He said, back over at Gan Ning. He turned back to Ling Cai.

"Catch you later." He winked and made his way over to Lu Meng.


	5. Travelling to Hefei

_**((I am really sorry for the lack of updates, but I haven't really had much time with coursework and social events so I apologize!))**_

A light knock issued from the oak door, in which Ling Cai was preparing for the journey they were about to take, which would lead them to He Fei. They were to defend the territory from the ferocious soldiers of Wei, and from the fearsome Zhang Liao. Ling Cai turned in time to see her Maid enter; she looked slightly upset but smiled at her all the same.

"Your horse is ready, Lady Ling Cai.". She said softly, before bowing her head with respect and leaving Cai alone, to finish packing.

Her heart began to race as the thought of such a battle came floating through her mind. They said it was going to be a hard fought battle, and that Gan Ning would be arriving later as Reinforcements, via their Naval Ships, which meant that the Wu forces would need to advance as far as the Castle, to gain an even bigger advantage. Ling Cai picked up her twin daggers and put them carefully in her belt. She secured the bow around her, and made sure the arrows were strapped around her shoulders tightly.

Ling Cai left her room, taking one last glance at it, before closing the door. She knew that she may never see her room, this Province, her friends, again. Ignoring that sinking feeling, she continued along the stone corridor until she reached the beautiful sun-light outside. The air was warm, with a cool slow blowing breeze, and there was barely a cloud in sight. It was going to be a pleasant journey, but to a devastating cause. If only the fighting and the battles could stop, so that peace and tranquillity could rule the land once more.

"It's about time." Gan Ning said gruffly, he was already sat on the beautiful pure white horse that he was stroking a few days before-hand. Her horse, which was sleek chestnut brown, was pawing the ground impatiently. She smiled at Gan Ning, who returned the gesture.

"I apologize, My Lord." She said, climbing up onto her horse and carefully seating herself on the harness. Gan Ning bowed his head before kicking his horse gently into its sides. It began to move and the troops that were Gan Ning's began to move also. Ling Cai began to move herself and rode alongside Gan Ning. They had a short journey to their Naval Fleet and then a longer one to get to He Fei. The force that was to defend He Fei had already taken their leave. They had left as soon as the Banquet had finished without a moment to spare.

"They will be relying on us?" Ling Cai asked softly, keeping up the pace with Gan Ning's horse.

"There will be relying on us to take over the Strongholds and take control over the Gates in our area, we are then to wait by our Navel Fleets, until we get any further commands. I would advise you stay close by me, the Generals of Wei are not merciful." He finished and then looked ahead. Ling Cai began to think once again of the battle ahead of them. They would not know how far the Wu forces would advance past enemy lines, or even if they would make it to the Naval Fleet before the reinforcements came. All she could think about was how much she wanted to destroy the Wei forces for destroying the peace that had lasted for a week or so. She would make sure the dream that she had a few nights ago would not come true, making sure she protected him with her own life. Ling Cai was, after all, serving for Gan Ning.

A couple of hours past and the Naval Ships came into view. There were four tall ships, each with the flag of the Wu Emblem printed boldly so all could see. A Wu General bowed to Gan Ning as they came into view.

"Lord Gan Ning, the ships are ready, and there are already troops on board. I am to accompany you and Lady Ling Cai on the final part of your journey." He bowed once again and stood aside to let them on the Ship. Gan Ning bowed his head with respect; Ling Cai did the same before guiding her horse up onto the lead ship. The other troops boarded onto one of the four ships, and once the preparations were complete, they set sail.

The wind was strong enough for them to travel quickly. Ling Cai stood on the end of Ship, her hair blowing back in the breeze. The sound of the water whipped past her ears and the occasional spray of sea water splashed against her skin. She closed her eyes and saw the dream she had, playing through her mind once again. No. She would not let Gan Ning die; she would never let him slip into the other world. Not until peace was regained.

"Ling Cai," Gan Ning's voice called out through the wind. She turned round to see him standing closely by her. His hair was even messier than usual, and his scimitar shone exceptionally bright in the burning brightness of the Sun.

"Are you ok? You seem distracted." Gan Ning asked softly, approaching her, until they were inches apart.

"I want you to be careful on the battle-field; I do not want you to go ahead of yourself, as you usually do in many battles…But I fear that this may be a little more complicated then the others." She said quietly, her eyes moved from Gan Ning, down to the floor of the ship. Gan Ning's hand moved swiftly to her own again and he held it gently.  
"I will not leave your side. You have taught me many times not to go rushing into battle, but to remain close to allies."  
"And you have taught me the skills that I own this very day, and I must thank you, I will aim to make sure nothing happens to you at He Fei, even if it means risking my life." Ling Cai said, she closed her eyes and bit her lip.  
"You should not say such a thing." Gan Ning whispered in her ear as he embraced her. "It will never come to that."

Ling Cai did not say a word, due to the tight knot in her throat, as a silent tear slid down her pale cheek.


	6. Hefei: Injured

"We are not sure on how the battle is progressing, or even how far the Wu army has advanced past enemy lines, but I do know this. It is our objective to gain control over the strongholds in our area, to ensure that no enemy troops can aboard the Wu Navy Ships. This battle will be another victory for the Wu Empire, another step closer to the unification. Understand my words, take heed and prepare for battle!" Gan Ning finished his small speech by raising his Scimitar high up into the air, the army followed, yelling loudly. Ling Cai bowed her head to Gan Ning, and then looked out across the seas. Land was coming into view rapidly, and that is where they would be fighting on the territory of He Fei. Cai's heart was beginning to beat furiously again, as the thought of such an immense battle was quickly approaching. She held her twin daggers close to her, going back to all the hard training sessions Gan Ning had given her, and remembering the skills and speed he had showed her continuously. She took a deep breath in before exhaling and turning around to be face to face with the Pirate.

"Oh, Gan Ning, you startled me." Ling Cai stuttered, she watched him closely. He smiled at her; his confidence wasn't punctured by the oncoming battle, like hers was.

"Ling Cai," He started, his words were soft and calm. "Stay by my side. I want you by my side for this battle." Gan Ning continued his eyes boring into her own. Ling Cai opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. The Ship had come to a stop and the troops were setting down the anchors and getting ready to depart from the Ship, onto land. Ling Cai looked out at He Fei and suddenly her face twisted into a look of fear for the first time in any battle. Her eyes were full of terror.  
"Gan Ning you cannot leave this Ship!" Cai demanded raucously. Gan Ning stared at her for a few seconds.  
"I must. The Wu army depends on our arrival. I must leave and attack along-side my soldiers."  
Ling Cai stared as Gan Ning turned and walked across the Ship, to where the troops were now running down onto the land. She stood trembling for a few moments, before sprinting after him.

"You cannot! You have not seen what I have!" Ling Cai yelled after him, weaving through the masses of red clad soldiers. Gan Ning was unable to hear her due to the gargantuan amount of noise the soldiers were now making. Unsheathing their swords whilst screaming and yelling.

Ling Cai reached the land to see the Wei army staring back at them. Their faces were full of surprise. Cai, glared at them all and then saw Gan Ning nearby her. She met with him, but didn't say anything. She wasn't going to be able to persuade him not to fight, she knew that know, but she wasn't going to let him run to his death either. The Wu soldiers had already begun to attack the stunned army. Gan Ning turned to Ling Cai, who gave him a weak smile, he nodded and they both bounded forward towards their enemy.

Ling Cai lunged her twin daggers straight into the closest person around her, killing them instantly. She then swung her daggers round cutting a couple more. She continued slashing at her enemy, whilst trying her hardest to keep an eye on Gan Ning. He was doing well; he had already cut through a large amount of Wei soldiers. Determined, Ling Cai continued fighting. Blood splattered over her face and her clothes as she twirled around cutting through the Wei soldiers. A sword came out to her left and successfully cut Cai across her arm, but the wound wasn't deep. She turned round and quickly cut across his neck. He stared at her, his eyes glazed, before falling to the floor; she continued fighting along-side the Wu soldiers until she heard a yell. Her heart skipped a beat. Turning round she saw Gan Ning calling out his soldiers to take over the strong-hold, she gave a sigh of relief before turning round and receiving a small pain in her mid-section. She glanced down and saw that an arrow had pierced through her thin armour and just through her skin. She closed her eyes and quickly pulled it out of her armour, and then hurried over to the wall of the strong-hold in which the archers were standing high upon a watch-tower. The wound was beginning to sear painfully, but she ignored it and continued fighting as swarms of enemy soldiers came to attack. Twice the archers aimed for Ling Cai, but missed and hit their own men instead. One of the towers had already fallen, thanks to the troops inside the stronghold, and it wasn't long before the other three fell. Gan Ning sprinted through the remaining Wei soldiers, cutting them all dead instantly, before celebrating their area of victory.

Ling Cai scrunched her face as the pain throbbed uncomfortably, but she cheered with army all the same. She looked across the field, there were blue and red dotted around the area, but the Wei army had been destroyed in the North, now it was up to the rest of the Wu Generals to make their to either the castle or the fleet.

A hand rested upon Ling Cai's shoulder. She turned round to see Gan Ning's blood splattered body in front of her. Her breathing was quick and shallow; the wound was gradually getting worse.

"Ling Cai, I…" Gan Ning watched her as she clutched her stomach in agony. "QUICK! We need help over here! Someone's been wounded!" Gan Ning yelled out, holding Ling Cai close to him whilst Medical help came sprinting forward. Cai's armour was ripped off and the wound was deeper than she thought. Several minutes past, as the Doctor continued applying herbs and liquids to her wound, before putting a cloth around the injury.

"It's not too bad yet, but I'd be careful when you are fighting, M'Lady. If it was to open again, you could lose a lot of blood." The Doctor explained calmly, before standing, taking a bow and walking away to help the other wounded soldiers.

Gan Ning stayed by Ling Cai as she stood up, she felt slightly nauseous and the pain was still there, but she smiled at him. Gan Ning watched her intently, before speaking.

"Ling Cai, I wanted to know…Why you did not want me to fight?" He asked softly, staring straight into her eyes again. Ling Cai did not answer immediately, she bit her lip, hesitating as to whether or not she should tell him.

"I…I had a dream in the previous nights, which involved you," She said slowly, her eyes darted to Gan Ning, then to the soldiers walking around. "I was fighting along-side you, but the Wu army was told to retreat. Everyone was retreating, apart from you, instead you ran ahead, continuing to destroy the Wei ranks. An enemy General was stood upon the Barracks, getting a set of archers ready. It was too late, I called you but the arrows had already fallen upon you, piercing your body, it was this battle in which I saw your fate." She carefully explained, looking finally upon the blood stained ground.

A sigh escaped Gan Ning's mouth, before he held her closely to him. His hand stroke the back of her head.

"You have taught me well, to never fall in to the enemy's traps. You have taught me to follow instructions when they really count, and I have. You shouldn't believe all that dreams tell you, for they can be unfocused and untrue." Gan Ning whispered in her ear, keeping hold of her. "And for that, I would never leave your side; I would never go into battle without you." He continued, before gently pressing his lips against hers. The embrace was short lived however, as the soldiers unsheathed their swords as a large army came running toward them…


	7. Hefei: Tested Patience

**Chapter 7 – The Battle At He Fei (Part 2)**

Gan Ning lifted his head as he heard the loud shouts of the Wei army drawing closer. He quickly unsheathed his own blade, raising it in the air. Ling Cai watched him, the herbs beginning to sting inside her wound, she put her hand not holding her weapon over it and pressed lightly.

"We will not run from these pitiful soldiers! We shall make our stand and show them our true strength! We shall fight and together we will prevail!" Gan Ning roared to the crowd of Wu soldiers, all waiting for their orders.

"Are you with me!?" He roared to them, as they burst into yells that drowned out the Wei army.

"Then CHARGE!" Gan Ning said, as he ran out first. The Wu army followed, brandishing their swords and shouting, whilst Ling Cai held back. The wound was stinging ferociously and she was feeling exceptionally faint.

"Gan Ning…" She said weakly, before dropping down to her knees, abandoning her twin daggers. She felt some warm liquid pour out from her bandage and she looked down at her pale hand to see it covered with her own blood. Ling Cai moaned and wiped it on her clothes, but felt the wound beginning to open again. The herbs and medication hadn't worked.

She heard the clash of metal against metal as the two armies met for the second time, some yells being cut from the battle as they were slain. Ling Cai could hear Gan Ning's yells of encouragement to his troops as they continued fighting. An arm grabbed at Cai's shoulder and she turned round to see the Doctor from earlier looking pale.

"What are you doing!? You should be fighting!" He said, helping her to her feet, before noticing her wound had re-opened.

"What…?"

"Your herbs didn't work." She slurred, feeling the nauseous feeling increase every single second she stood around.

"They didn't work…Help…me…" She said, nearly falling back down to the muddy hard ground, before the Doctor held out his arm and held her up. They walked steadily back to the Navy Ships where wounded soldiers were being treated.

The Doctor laid her gently down on the wooden floor, before examining her wound, gently touching the area around it, to the dismay and moans of agony from Ling Cai.

"Do not move M'Lady, I need to go fetch some more herbs." He said consolingly, standing quickly to his feed and moving away. Ling Cai did as she was told, but felt a sudden feeling of guilt. What if Gan Ning had thought she had fled? What if he thought she was dead?

These thoughts made her sit up, but the Doctor came rushing back with his arms ladled with herbs of all different colours. He put them down and then gently pushed her back down.

"These will sting a little, so just be prepared." He said softly, grinding some green nettles and then adding some pink coloured leaves to the mix. He finally added some green liquid before dabbing it on her wounds. The pain increased so severely that she nearly let out a scream, but she held it in instead with silent tears which flowed down her cheeks and on to the wooden ship floor. The Doctor continued rubbing the strange remedial herbs on to her wound until he was positive the whole area had been covered. He then started layering a new bandage around Ling Cai and her wound.

"M'Lady you can't fight. You must rest…" He said with a tone of sadness lingering in his voice.

"What…No I have to…" She said weakly, attempting to sit up but being pushed down again by the Doctor.

"You need to sleep. Here, drink this; it'll make the pain subside slightly." He said consolingly, leaning a bottle in to her mouth. She moved her head to the side.

"No… I have to fight!" Ling Cai said stubbornly, feeling around for her daggers.

"Where is it!?" She said angrily, feeling the stinging pain in her wound come back again.

"It's over there. M'Lady please, drink this." The doctor replied, looking anxious as he tried to tip the bottle in to her mouth. She grudgingly obliged, but after a few sips she stopped and spat the contents out.

"It's disgusting…Revolting!" She said wiping her mouth.

"It's a mixture of herbs; they've been mashed to a liquid so it's easier to drink." The Doctor informed, placing the bottle down and looking a bit more relieved. "Now just close your eyes and let your dreams guide you." He said calmly, as she obeyed his instructions, but they flew open again.

"What have you done…?" She asked, trying to sit-up again, but she felt her strength begin to leave her, and the force of the Doctor's hand against her shoulder was enough to stop her from struggling.

"It's just to help the pain and to help you sleep…" He said soothingly, lifting the pressure of her shoulder as Ling Cai closed her eyes again and eventually drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"_You know. I'm so glad that the war is finally over."_

Ling Cai sat up and looked around. The scenery had completely changed. Instead of being on a wooden ship, she was now in what looked like a garden, with the grass perfectly luscious green and tall blossom trees billowing their pink petals down dream-like on to the ground. She stood up and then looked down and saw that her wound had completely vanished and she in fact, had no trace of ever been injured. She looked back up and saw Gan Ning leaning against one of the blossom trees; his scimitar was stabbed in to the ground crossed against her daggers. She continued staring until her turned around and faced her. He had a single healing cut across his cheek, but he was smiling all the same.

"_Even though I won't get to do much fighting anymore, I'm glad we can be together…In peace." _

His voice seemed echoing and dream-like. She took a step towards him and he just continued smiling. As she moved closer towards him, the sound of gushing water became more pronounced. She raised her eyebrows, as Gan Ning leant against the tree again.

"_We can be together now. Nothing can come between us…Except…" _

Gan Ning's smile faltered and he looked behind him, in to the steely cold depths of the water. The water seemed to stand out the most out of the dreamy scenario. It was harsh and grey. The sun didn't reflect on its liquid surface which made Ling Cai feel uneasy.

Gan Ning turned his head towards her again, and he had a strange glint in his eye that she couldn't quite understand. She took a step towards him again but this time it didn't seem to make much of a difference.

"_Except maybe we aren't supposed to be together Ling Cai…"_

Gan Ning took a single step towards the lake and suddenly Ling Cai felt sick. The stinging pain had come back with such an impact that it made her go dizzy. She felt herself running blindly towards Gan Ning, but as she got her visibility clear again, she saw that she was running but not actually moving.

"_Goodbye Ling Cai."_

He gave her that beautiful smile one last time before falling in to the cold depths of the water. No splash. No bubbles. Nothing. He was just…Gone.

Ling Cai let out a strangled sort of scream before being swallowed in pure darkness. She felt the warmth of the sunlight disappear, the blossom trees were no longer billowing their pink petals down to the ground, and the grass was no longer soft and short.

* * *

"NO!" Ling Cai screamed, opening her eyes and seeing a deep purple sky dotted with glimmering stars. Yet again the scenery had changed, but something felt familiar…The wooden ship. Taking in a deep breath of the cold dusk air, she saw the Doctor come running towards her again. 

"M'Lady, Are you alright!" He asked his face full of concern as he surveyed her.

"Fine…Just a bad dream." She croaked, her throat was exceptionally dry and she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She briskly wiped it away.

"Ah. Yes, I was beginning to believe there may be side-effects with the herbs you drank earlier. I do apologize." He said bowing to her before making his way over to some more injured Wu soldiers.

Ling Cai sat up and felt a slight twinge of pain where her wound was but most of it had subsided. She steadily got to her feet and looked over the edge of the ship. The Wu army was no where in sight. They had obviously fought there way through the Wei army and were now somewhere near Cao Cao. She sighed deeply, feeling disappointment wash over her. She had to miss the battle of He Fei because of one injury.

She rested her head on her hand as she watched the land grow darker by every passing second. The Wu forces had done well to advance so far without leaving any Wei soldiers to their mercy, which could of potentially endangered everyone else on the Naval fleets including herself. She watched the water below her lap up against the ship, and couldn't help but think of the nightmare she had.

* * *

_Authors Notes: Read&Review _


	8. Victorious

**Chapter 8 – Victorious**

The battle at He Fei was finally over, after several days of fighting, and Wu had come out victorious against the mass army of Wei. Even though they had won the battle, there had been so many losses to account for, however, Ling Cai had not been cleared to fight since her injury and therefore had no idea who had been wounded or perhaps even killed and this made her extremely irrational and annoyed. For days, Ling Cai had been itching to go out and fight by Gan Ning's side, and each time she tried to slip off with her weapon she was always stopped by the doctor, or by other soldiers who knew of her condition (and were probably warned by the doctor not to let her fight.)

Over and over again they gave her the same reason. That she wasn't fit to fight and that she would no doubt endanger the people around her…Even though she felt extremely well and far better then what she had been in the previous days.

But she had stuck to the advice and hadn't succumbed to the urge of pushing the doctor and soldiers away, getting a horse and riding into battle. No. She had been a good little general and stood aside to let the others do the fighting even though it had been increasingly difficult to just step back and allow the others to put their lives in danger for Wu, especially Gan Ning.

He had been the only person that she had spared her thoughts for, that and Sun Quan their commander, but most of the time she had spent hours at a time thinking of the nightmare she had a few days back, dreaming about seeing him dead on the battlefield and each time, waking up shaking with beads of perspiration everywhere. The Doctor explained over and over again that it was the side-effect of the medicine he had used, but she knew that it was because she was practically fearing for his life.

But now the battle was over, and she was finally able to leave the naval fleet and go to the Wu army, who were no doubt celebrating their victory. She collected her daggers and crossed the ship, a feeling of strong relieve and excitement flooding through her. The Doctor was nearby, helping some soldiers who had wounds and cuts, and she moved over to him.

"I want to express my gratitude," She began, inclining her head as she spoke to him. "I believe that if it wasn't for you I doubt I would be here right now…I would also like to thank you for stopping me from doing something irrational over the past few days." She continued rapidly, wanting to get to Gan Ning's side as soon as possible. "You have been a great service not only to me, but to Wu."

The Doctor rose tenderly to his feet holding a bowl of some sort of remedy that he was applying to a wound on a soldier who was chatting away to another. "Please, M'Lady. I was doing my duty to Wu, although I thank you for your kind words." He said, bowing his head back. "Now, go and do what you have been wanting to do for so many days now. Go see Lord Gan Ning." He said, giving her benign smile, which she returned and without further ado she quickly left the ship, mounting a chestnut brown horse and riding out into the open.

Bodies of Wu and Wei soldiers still scattered the ground as she rode past, keeping her eyes peeled just in case there were any Wei soldiers still straggling about anywhere…Or in case there were any Wu soldiers still alive but injured. However, her journey was quite uninterrupted and she finally arrived at the castle where the Wu forces were celebrating.

Hearing the cheering and yelling of joy and triumph from the soldiers filled Ling Cai with warmth and she dismounted the horse, patting it gently before entering inside. Commander Sun Quan was talking to the whole army, giving a speech on their success and their victory, but Ling Cai ignored it. Her eyes traced the whole area looking for only one person. She saw Zhou Tai lurking back in the shadows behind Sun Quan. Some would call him the loyal bodyguard. He had always been at Sun Quan's side, the only way someone would be able to harm Quan would be if Zhou Tai was as good as dead.

She then moved her eyes towards Ling Tong who was smiling out at the army, looking proud and generally cheerful. Surely Gan Ning would be nearby…Him and Ling Tong had become close friends even though they severely despised one another when they had first met.

And sure enough, Gan Ning was just behind Ling Tong and was looking slightly disgruntled. He was accompanied by an aggravated looking Doctor who was tending to him. She bit her lip and then put her daggers away before moving through the dense crowd of cheering soldiers, all still celebrating their victory, even though some were looking slightly worse for wear, others did not smile or cheer however but in actual fact they looked saddened. No doubt they had lost someone close to them. She felt a stab of sympathy and pity for them and she even stopped for a few seconds to stare at the looks of despair and sorrow, before she was urged to move on.

Ascending the steps towards the generals, she passed Lu Xun who had a bandage around his right arm and stopped just behind Gan Ning, feeling another feeling of deep relief wash over her. Even though there would have been numerous soldiers who had lost their lives, she felt selfish to say it, but she was glad Gan Ning was still by her side. Lu Xun was eyeing her, whilst still listening to Sun Quan's rambling. She smiled gently and tapped Gan Ning lightly on the shoulder.

Turning round, the scowl turned a little more cheerful and he actually grinned at her. "You're ok?" He said, surveying her up and down as though searching for any visible wounds. Now that he had faced her, Ling Cai could see cuts across his face and arms, but apart from that he looked fine…And yet she couldn't help but see the visions of Gan Ning laying face down on the ground out of her head.

"They fixed me up pretty well." She said quietly, looking at a particularly nasty looking scratch across his cheek that the Doctor had been tending to. "I wanted to go back onto the battlefield, to be by your side but they wouldn't let me." She said, her smile faltering slightly at the irritation she had felt during the last few days. "I wanted to fight for you…And for Wu."

Gan Ning let a sigh escape from his lips and he gently guided her away from Sun Quan who was still giving out his victory speech, away from Ling Tong who had just realized that Cai had joined them, and away from the prying eyes of Lu Xun. "I told them not to let you fight." He said firmly, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on her. "I told them not to let you leave the ships."

Ling Cai looked quite surprised by this little piece of information, and now realized why they were so persistent in keeping her on the ship…Because if they had allowed her to leave Gan Ning would probably cut them down where they stood. Then again, Gan Ning had changed a lot since he had become close friends with Ling Tong and perhaps the Doctor would only have received a telling off instead.

"When I saw you fall on the battlefield Cai," Gan Ning looked reasonably pale at this point. "I thought I'd lost you. You…You scared me Cai and it just made me realize that…" His last few words were drowned out as the crowd erupted with the loudest cheers yet, and no doubt Sun Quan had just finished his babbling.

Ling Cai watched as the Generals made their way down the stairs towards them and she also felt slightly disappointed because she knew she wouldn't be able to talk to Gan Ning alone for quite awhile. Especially since Lu Xun and Ling Tong hauled him away so they could no doubt talk tactics with Sun Quan.

She watched him with a blank expression before she realized that she was standing quite alone. Sighing, she turned her back on the Generals knowing that she wouldn't be allowed to have any input in the strategies, knowing that she wouldn't be allowed to know them because she wasn't 'worthy' enough.

And with that, she had better find something to do whilst Gan Ning was cooped up inside, because it could potentially take days…Days in which she was urging to ask him to finish what he was going to say.

* * *

_Authors Notes: I know it's been a long time since I've updated this story but here you go. Also,I won't be historically accurate from now on so don't bash me for that. Read&Review please._


	9. The Next Step

**  
Chapter 9 – Next Step Forward**

Over the following few days, many of the Generals, Lieutenants and soldiers made their long and steady journey back to the Wu Capital, Jian Ye. Among them were Gan Ning and Ling Cai who were now riding side by side in the scorching sunlight. The atmosphere was extremely serene and calm, and the tranquil silence was only broken by the light, friendly chatter of the soldiers and Generals and the soft patter of footsteps and hooves against the dry terrain…That and the mellifluous ringing of Gan Ning's golden bells.

He had told Ling Cai that he attached these bells to him every time they went in to the battlefield, so that the enemy knew he was coming. Ling Cai couldn't help but make a mental image of a group of enemy soldiers (dressed in blue attire) and hearing the deadly, echoing jingling of the bells. She could even hear the screaming and yelling from the soldiers, as Gan Ning ascended upon them wielding his blade, ready for battle. 

Her horse halted abruptly, and she lurched forward, nearly falling off side-ways. Gripping the reigns tightly, she managed to stabilise herself before proceeding to stare around for the reason as to why everyone had stopped. The whole army that had just moments before, been so relaxed and untroubled, were now alert and vigilant. Nearly all of them were down at the horizon. 

"Cao Cao is on the move!" Gan Ning said quietly behind Ling Cai. She saw him pointing towards the left of her, and as she turned she spotted a mass of blue silhouetted against the golden horizon. Even though it had been at least six or seven days since the initial battle at Hefei, she knew that the King of Wei, Cao Cao, would not allow a defeat to dampen their spirits. 

Ling Cai felt her blood suddenly begin to boil, her heart-beat raised automatically and she experienced a surge of adrenaline, almost as though she wanted to slaughter the whole army by herself…Something that was foolish, unwise and probably a basic death sentence. Instead, she felt her hands tighten themselves further around the thick leather reigns of her russet horse and found herself just glowering out into the distance.

"Looks like Zhuge Liang was right about it all along." Gan Ning said gruffly from the side of her, causing her to turn and stare at him instead. Well he was definitely a better spectacle then the unsightly view of the thousands of Wei soldiers. "C'mon guys! Get a move on; we need to get to the Capital right away!" Gan Ning called out to the army. Most of them started moving onwards; however some remained fixed in position, fingering their swords, a look of mingled hate and revulsion etched across their faces.

Once they had seen the remainder of the army moving on, the few stragglers decided it was best to follow. Once they were on the move again, Ling Cai glanced across at Gan Ning who was now scratching the back of his head, apparently deep in thought.

"What is troubling you?" Cai asked, keeping her horse level with his own. Gan Ning looked back at her, and she could sense that there was definitely something wrong. It appeared to her how suddenly pale and pallid he looked…

"That Zhuge Liang…" He replied simply, not keeping eye contact for very long and instead facing forwards once again. Ling Cai raised one eyebrow and followed his gaze.

"Why would he trouble you? He is the Shu Strategist…Wait. Why did you mention him before, we have not had any difficulty or hassle from Shu for quite awhile now." Perhaps Shu were preparing an attack on the Wu Capital, Jian Ye?

No.

That would also be a suicidal attempt. Jian Ye was very well protected, not only from the thick and almost indestructible walls and gates, but also from the elite and skilled officers, soldiers and generals that guarded Jian Ye. Even though some of the Wu officers were now positioned in various places, such as Hefei, Jian Ye had the largest population of skilled soldiers, and it would be very foolish of any army, including Cao Cao's vast one, to try and attack Jian Ye. 

"It was how correct he was in the meeting," Gan Ning started, causing Ling Cai's head to snap back to him, her mouth open slightly…She was basically gaping at him. So the Wu and Shu forces had had a meeting. No wonder it took so long for them to get moving again…She had wondered quietly to herself why she had not seen Lu Xun, Gan Ning and Sun Quan over the last few days, and now the question was answered.

"He predicted that Cao Cao would start moving his forces east to try and attack Hanzhong, where Master Liu Bei is currently residing." Gan Ning seemed calm. "We made an alliance with him, Ling Cai." 

Ling Cai still couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was almost preposterous…Making an allegiance so far into the chaos and destruction. She however, kept her thoughts to herself, and instead bowed her head. So they would be battling to keep Liu Bei's position as King of Hanzhong, King of Shu, safe. They would be risking their soldiers, so that Liu Bei wouldn't be slaughtered by the gargantuan mass of Cao Cao's army…Or maybe Wu had seen this as a chance to stop Cao Cao once and for all.

Ling Cai now realized just how gruelling and arduous the task of being a Strategist really was, and wasn't really surprised at why she wasn't exactly allowed to enter the meetings. She would probably disagree with everything any of them said.

The remainder of their travel was fairly uneventful, apart from a soldier falling over a pot-hole and causing a ruckus as several other people fell over him, the trek seemed to be almost _boring_.

Finally granted access into the Wu Capital, Ling Cai dismounted her horse and allowed him to be taken back to the stables by a helpful peasant, who bowed to her and Gan Ning in turn and then scurried away. She did not have chance to do anything further, since Sun Shang Xiang came bustling forward.

"You've been away for so long! I can't believe Brother Quan didn't let me fight!" She said, staring at Ling Cai and Gan Ning with jealousy and envy. Ling Cai knew how much Sun Shang Xiang loved to fight, and she had studied martial arts at a very young age, and even went as far as having her ladies in waiting dressed fully in armour.

"You didn't miss much, Cao Cao fled." Gan Ning grumbled, still looking a little concerned and troubled. Sun Shang Xiang raised an eyebrow and watched as he walked away from them. "Man what's wrong with him? I thought he loved having a good battle." Shang Xiang asked, folding her arms over her chest.

"Let's just go somewhere a little quieter shall we? Perhaps you could teach me some archery skills." Ling Cai said, giving her a weak and hesitant smile, before the both of them walked steadily to the gardens where she and Gan Ning had first trained together. She watched the beautiful pink blossoms swirl around her, and noticed that Sun Shang Xiang had no doubt just stopped practising herself…Since the targets were still up and there were numerous arrows planted right in the bulls-eye.

"So what's happened? Nobody died out there...?" Shang Xiang asked flopping down on the petal covered grass, staring intently at her friend. Ling Cai didn't immediately register the question, her mind was still with Gan Ning, but then she followed suite and sat down beside her. 

"Of course people died out there," She said sounding quite cold and harsh, Shang Xiang looked slightly taken aback by her reaction, but she recovered quickly and was about to ask her another question, but Ling Cai cut straight across. "But no, none of the generals were killed. Luckily enough," She said, remembering her own injury out on the battlefield. She felt a surge of anger and instantly touched her stomach. Shang Xiang was still staring at her, but decided not to press on with the matter.

"And what about Gan Ning though? What's wrong with the Pirate?"

Ling Cai took even longer to reply to this question, she was still thinking about the fact that Wu were going over to help Liu Bei in Hanzhong…

"He's fearful of Zhuge Liang," She began, choosing her words carefully. At the mention of the Shu Strategist however, Shang Xiang seemingly perked up a little. "He was accurate in depicting Cao Cao's next move, he is heading to Hanzhong to attack Lord Liu Bei."

"WHAT!" Shang Xiang cried in outrage, leaping to her feet and causing blossom petals to fly back up into the warm air behind her. Cai was not startled by her behaviour, she knew how much she cared about Liu Bei, even though they had been in an arranged marriage…She did indeed love him.

"And Wu are going to aid him." She finished simply, looking ahead of her now instead of at the fuming face of her friend. "Shang Xiang, Master Sun Quan believed it would be best to do so, to stop Cao Cao before he becomes too powerful. An alliance must have been the last resort." 

Once again, Ling Cai's lack of strategic mind was making her blind to the other reasons as to why they had formed a quick alliance, and she didn't care to figure them out, she basically believed this to be the most suitable and fitting option and therefore stuck to it stubbornly.

"Well then, brother Quan will let me fight. I will not be held back this time!" She snarled before striding away in a strop. Sun Quan would not be arriving back at Jian Ye; they were going straight to Hanzhong. Gan Ning and Ling Cai, however, had been told to go back to collect more soldiers and give the others a longing break. 

The only other generals that were going with them were Zhou Tai, Sun Quan's protector, Taishi Ci, and Lu Xun. Zhou Tai and Taishi Ci were exceptional warriors, and both were ferocious and skilled generals. Lu Xun would no doubt be pulling the strings, and ordering them into strategical positions. Cheng Pu and Zhu Ran were also accompanying them…And know she guessed, whether or not Sun Quan allowed her or not, Shang Xiang would be joining them. She would never turn down an offer to go see Liu Bei.

Sitting alone in the gardens, she observed the petals gentle swirling and floating elegantly down onto the luscious green grass, and found that once again, her mind was drifting to the pirate. He had been oddly strange with her since Hefei. She let a small sigh escape from her lips and laid back, staring up at the beautiful clear sky knowing that in a few days they would once again be in battle against Wei.

**  
**_Read and please review. I wasn't quite sure on this chapter but I proceeded with it anyway XD I may have had some historical inaccuracy but as I said, this isn't going to historically correct. The only thing following it is the characters._


	10. Under the Blossoms

**Chapter 10 – Under the Blossoms**

Over the next few days, Ling Cai saw less and less of Sun Shang Xiang and Gan Ning and was becoming increasingly frustrated at not being able to ask what was going on, and when they were deciding on going to Hanzhong to aid Liu Bei. She was also becoming restless since she had not been able to train for the past few days and it was resulting in a burst of pent up energy that she couldn't possibly exercise. She was often seen underneath the blossom trees in the gardens at Jian Ye, meditating more then anything. Her daggers glinted underneath the blazing Sun, as she closed her eyes against the gentle but warm breeze trying to calm herself, to clear her mind against the confusing thoughts that kept zooming through her already overloaded head.

Taking a deep breath inwards, she exhaled and opened her eyes slowly. She did feel slightly more relaxed, but it didn't really help with the extremely painful headache that was throbbing at her left temple. Trying to busy herself with something else before all her worries came flooding back, she picked up her blades and began to study them. They were both still equally razor-sharp since she had only used them once in a real battle. The handles were made of fine black leather and she could see that where she had been holding them, grooves were beginning to appear on the material. She kept her gaze plastered on her weapons for a few more seconds before coming to the conclusion that they were definitely not interesting enough to stop the questions flooding back.

Looking up, she watched the streams of pink petals glide tenderly to the ground. The thin flowers were pulled softly off course by the soothing light wind, and she watched their progression from the moment they left the towering trees to the second they touched the grass which was now scattered with the flowers.

"Ling Cai?"

Not registering the voice immediately, Cai sat still staring transfixed at the swirling mass of petals, before the voice drifted towards her like the wind. Turning her head, she saw the form of the Pirate who she had barely seen over the last few days, staring down at her. Ling Cai went to stand up but Gan Ning shook his head, and took a seat beside her instead. She relaxed again and began to observe him instead.

His eyes looked weary and exhausted as though he had not slept in days, and underneath them were heavy black bags. His face had a tautened and almost gaunt-like appearance and he seemed paler then usual. Her expression changed from the confusion and worry that had slowly been eating away at her, to concern. It looked as though the Pirate had not slept for days…And probably not eaten much either.

"Gan Ning, what's wrong? What's been happening? You look so unwell." She said, turning the rest of her body towards him so he was the primary subject. Gan Ning looked up at her through the dark tired eyes and shook his somewhat limp blonde hair, as though shaking off the questions.

"We will be leaving for Hanzhong in the morning," He said quietly, watching Ling Cai look slightly hurt that he had brushed her questions aside and instead believed that Hanzhong was more important then his health. "It should only take a few days to get there, so make sure your fully equipped." He added sternly, trying not to seep any emotion into his voice.

"Stop it!" Ling Cai cried out suddenly, breaking the calm atmosphere and replacing it with a state of tension. Gan Ning didn't seem too perturbed by her sudden outburst; he simply continued to stare at her. "Hanzhong can wait! Liu Bei can wait! Look at yourself, your unwell. You look as though you haven't slept or eaten since you got back from Hefei!" Cai's concerned expression was now mingled with anger and frustration. Still focused only on her, Ling Cai could see that he looked strangely uncomfortable.

"I'm fine, Ling Cai." He said hesitantly, still staring directly into her anxious eyes. Ling Cai stared at him, mouth hanging open with disbelief as he quite literally lied. She shook her head and bit down hard on her lip to stop herself from yelling at him. She had no right to do that, in fact, she had no right to question him at all. She was the one who was serving underneath him, not the other way around.

But then again, she cared too much for him to let this slide past her. There was something definitely wrong with him and she intended to find out what. "Don't lie to me," She said fairly quietly, glancing around just in case any soldiers or commoners decided to take a walk around the gardens (although during the times she usually sat out here, she rarely saw anyone).

"What does it matter, Cai." He said solemnly, finally breaking the eye contact and instead staring at the twirling petals. Feeling slightly stung by this comment it took a few seconds for her to come up with a reply. "Because…Well believe it or not, I care for you!" She said with outrage, glaring at him still in disbelief.

Gan Ning inhaled a deep, shaky breath and glanced back at her, the little colour he did have in his cheeks was now completely gone. "Make sure you are ready for the journey tomorrow." He said with finality before standing up quickly and walking away, without a backwards glance.

Ling Cai clenched her hands into the grass and pulled, ripping tufts of it up out of the soil. The rage surging through her now was unbelievable, and yet she couldn't help but feel hurt by him. She stared around for a second, realising that tears were beginning to form behind her cerulean eyes. Rubbing them painfully hard, she leapt to her feet and ran after the retreating Pirate's back.

She managed to catch up with him and she grasped his wrist underneath her fingers and tugged at him. He turned but slowly, almost as though he was incredibly bored of her being there. She could still feel the tears pricking the back of her eyes but she tried to keep a straight face, and found that it was certainly easier said then done.

"Why is it so hard to tell me what's happening?" She muttered, glaring at him with ferocity that seemed to surprise him slightly. Silence pressed over them as Gan Ning took awhile to produce an answer, she could even see his mind working behind the remarkably empty eyes.

"There's no way I can stop you is there," He said, bringing back a little of his personality back and giving her a weak grin. Weak, but it was still there. Ling Cai smiled hesitantly back at him as she shook her head. "Didn't know why you expected me to let it drop in the first place."

"Look, Cai…" He began trying to find the perfect words. "Since Hefei…I've not been at my best."

Ling Cai surveyed him with a raised eyebrow, feeling her stomach slip like she had just missed a step going down some stairs. She was hoping this wasn't leading to what she believed it was.

"I was asked by Master Sun Quan to try and sort out my soldiers to a position that would be best suited at Hanzhong just before we left to go there, that would limit the number of deaths from the Wu side. The only thing I have been able to work on is a very light sketch of the area…And so I've been trying to devise a plan that would work out."

Breathing a quick sigh of relief she wondered faintly why he had not said this in the first place…But then she could see, once again, that there was a trace of a lie, or at least something that he wasn't telling her.

"Well there is no shame in that," Ling Cai said, keeping her eyes fixed on his. "Devising a plan in only a few days, I do believe strategies take time to perfect. I also believe that that is not the only thing bothering you."

Gan Ning gave her a hearty laugh that did not seem to fit his mood, and he shook his head slightly. "Not much get's past you does it…" He trailed off and looked past her to the beautiful blossom trees. "You were correct though Cai, I am ill."

"Ill…How ill are we speaking?" She asked in a hushed tone, suddenly feeling physically sick.

"The Doctors don't know. They can't see any visible wounds or injuries so they're guessing that I've had some sort of bad reaction to the alangium chinense they used to treat some of those scratches from Hefei. They've given me this concoction of huo xiang and some other remedial herbs. It's not the nicest of things, which is probably why my appetite's been a bit off too."

Ling Cai continued to look up into his distant eyes and noticed that she would be unable to get any more information out of him. His argument did sound convincing since he could correctly identify a few of the herbs and so she let it slide. She just hoped that he would be well enough by tomorrow as she knew he was not going to stop heading into a fight just because he hadn't eaten.

"Let's just hope those herbs work then," She said quietly, managing a very weak smile. She didn't know whether she felt better now that he had told her, or worse because know she knew that he was indeed ill, or a little sick. Maybe it wouldn't be long term, but it didn't stop her from fearing the worst.

"Don't worry about me Cai, I'm stronger then you take me for." He said, a grin spreading across his face again. "I'll be fine. I promise you I'll be ok. Just make sure you've got yourself ready for tomorrow."

Ling Cai nodded slowly and she continued to watch him as he turned his back on her and walked out of the gardens, whilst a single cold tear slipped from behind her saddened eyes, and fell amongst the blossoms.

* * *

_I'm still editing a few of these chapters from the story, the first three have been updated from the 26th March 2008, so those who have favourited the story please re-read.  
As usual, your comments are appreciated and always taken into account._


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